Philippine Army (PA) and Australian Army troops are now taking part in the month-long ‘Kasangga’ 2025-02 which aims to beef up the interoperability and territorial defense capabilities of the two services.
In a statement on Tuesday, PA spokesperson Col. Louie Dema-ala said the exercise took place at the Combat Readiness Training Area in Camp Jamindan, Capiz on Oct. 13.
‘A total of 171 PA soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division and 90 Australian Army troops are participating in the exercise that bolsters interoperability of both armies,’ he added.
Participating troops from both Armies trained together on mortar gunnery, combat stress debriefing and medical response, coastal defense, missile survivability and drone operations on Monday.
Exercise Kasangga, which means ‘ally’ or ‘partner’ in Filipino, challenges the participating troops’ skills and expertise while enhancing their knowledge of each other’s tactics, techniques and procedures, Dema-ala said.
‘Conducting the said exercise outside of the traditional training areas in Luzon sends a clear message about the Army’s commitment to strengthen its operations in areas of strategic importance to regional stability,’ the PA spokesperson.